- present participle of deteriorate.
deteriorating
Americanadjective
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becoming worse or inferior in condition, character, quality, value, etc..
A deteriorating house, whatever the cause, will have an adverse effect on your real estate investment.
Officials have warned of a deteriorating security situation in the disputed territory.
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disintegrating or wearing away.
If what you have underneath is fabric or fiberglass, I’d be concerned that deteriorating paint is letting ultraviolet rays do their worst to your aircraft.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deteriorating
First recorded in 1680–90; deteriorate ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She was sent home three weeks in after a supervisor observed her deteriorating physical condition, according to the suit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
And Richard Blumenthal, another Democratic senator, said there were "widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns" on the ship.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Messi wrote that his father urged him "to play in one last World Cup" despite his health deteriorating.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Some retirees get to a point where their health is deteriorating or they are reaching very advanced ages and they can more clearly see what will be left after they die.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Alarmed at the deteriorating conditions, he called in the six-thousand-member Fourth Regiment of the Illinois Militia to bring things back under control.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
